Creating the ultimate fan experience: How NCR is helping drive change in the sports and entertainment industry

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Creating the ultimate fan experience: How NCR is helping drive change in the sports and entertainment industry

By :Katie Kirschner

July 18, 2017 08:35 AM

The huge technological leaps that have been made in the mobile industry in recent years have had a dramatic knock-on effect across many industries. We can now do anything from hail taxis to switch on the lights using just our smartphones, and these advances are shifting consumers' expectations over the levels of service they should receive - and this is especially true among sports and entertainment consumers.

Gone are the days when customers would put up with long queues to purchase food or beverages from a limited menu at a sports or entertainment venue - now they expect much more, and they're getting it.

Venues are beginning to shift towards cutting-edge technologies making the process of purchasing food, drinks and other merchandise as seamless as possible.

And it's not just when it comes to ordering snacks at halftime that the bar is being raised. Free Wi-Fi throughout arenas and stadia means fans can watch replays or alternative camera angles on their smartphone from the comfort of their seat at the center of the action.

Responding to changing habits
All these advances are critical to the sports and entertainment industry, which has recognized the need to compete with, for example, the football experience fans can get from the comfort of their own living room, thanks to ever-growing television sizes and a plethora of features on offer from broadcasters. The advances we have seen elsewhere means expectations have been raised and having a fan in the stadium to watch their team is no longer enough - they're going to want to replicate as many of the features and experiences they get from watching at home as well.

Building from the ground up
Of course, in many cases this isn't possible without significant planning and investment, be it in the construction of a new venue or remodeling of an existing one. Transitioning to digital in an industry where some stadia are many decades old presents challenges, which is why it’s important to work with the right technology partners from the very start of the planning process, to make sure all the infrastructure and hardware is in place to ensure a smooth transition.

Consumers are changing the way they transact and interact with brands across industries and are demanding the same seamless experience no matter the venue. Creating and enabling the ultimate fan experience from breaking ground to opening day and beyond, will drive actionable insight and hard results for venues new and old.